My Low-Carbon Lifestyle Changes

Here are the lifestyle changes I’ve made so far since starting my blog in November 2012 to try to reduce my impact on the earth:

  • Switched from a regular hosting company to one powered 100% by their own solar power (this blog is carbon neutral). Cost was only.30 cents/mo more. ($8. 25/month for space on 100% renewable energy server)
  • Sold my old Volvo and bought a used electric Nissan Leaf – LOVE it!!!
  • Bring my reusable cup with me if I’m not “eating in.”
  • Recycled over 70lbs of e-trash (cell phones, hard drives, disks, printer cartridges, etc.)
  • Greatly reduced air travel. I only took one flight last year, compared to my usual 5-6 coast-to-coast trips. Saving 7.92 metric tons of CO2.
  • Now I wash my clothes in cold water. Saving CO2 emissions and about $5/bottle on laundry detergent – who knew cold-water detergent is cheaper?
  • Buy used books. Next, the library!
  • Removed my name and my husband’s from all the catalogs we normally receive.  Catalog Choice reports by doing so I’ve saved 4 trees, and 1,395 lbs of green house gas, 495 lbs of waste and 3,359 gallons of water.
  • Not only do I take reusable grocery bags but also reusable vegetable bags to the grocery store – reducing plastic consumption where I can.
  • Now using compostable garbage and pet poo bags made of corn.
  • Started composting (again) and reduced our garbage can size saving us $364/yr. (Saved $7/wk going to a smaller 20lb can from a 32lb can.)
  • Now using recycled toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels (I know eventually, the paper towels and facial tissues need to go).
  • I went vegan for six months. Saved approximately 1.25 tons of CO2 that year.
  • We’ve turned off our hot tub (saving about $75/mo in electricity – wow – should have done that a while ago).
  • Started using bamboo toothbrushes. Think about it we throw that plastic out every 3-4 months. Unless something changes, more than 4.7 Billion plastic toothbrushes are dumped in landfills every year worldwide. They take over 1000 years to degrade.
  • My biggest personal sacrifice to date: I stopped dying my hair. But, even that has an upside, as I’m saving about $560/yr.
  • Buy the majority of my clothes used – most from ThredUp online – it’s fantastic.